Arts Centre in Korogocho Slums

Located in the heart of Korogocho Slums, our Arts Centre is dedicated to preserving and promoting our rich African musical heritage.

Our goals extend beyond artistic endeavors. We seek to encourage social responsibility, tackling pressing issues such as teenage pregnancy, early marriages, harmful cultural practices like female genital mutilation, and preventing crime and drug addiction among our youth.

Founded with a passion for empowering communities through the arts, our centre serves as a beacon of hope, providing a platform for local talent to flourish and express their creativity. Through music, dance, drama, and various artistic endeavors, we strive to uplift spirits, foster unity, and inspire positive change within our community.

Join us on this journey as we harness the transformative power of the arts to create a brighter future for the residents of Korogocho Slums and beyond.

For further information or to lend support, contact Project Patron Anthony Gafouga at

anthony.gatonga@gmail.com or via WhatsApp at +254 725 683 679

See local creative artist Kake Wakake at the opening ceremony for the centre.

Welcome Kenyan Artists: Voices Rising

We’re thrilled to be introducing the work of five Kenyans. Their art and ideas will continue to be featured. For now, see our introduction to Juliette, Kake, Lydiah, Anthony and Sophie. Enjoy a sample of their rich, beautiful work. These videos were filmed in Nairobi, Kenya in September 2023, at the Kenya National Theatre. Rose was visiting and met with the artists, recordeding these materials

Meet the Performers

Kake sings

Lydiah sings

Watch a brainstorming session with the group

Read more about the artists:

Juliette Achieng Omollo

Juliette Achieng Omollo is a dance and performance artist, choreographer and teacher. Juliette is passionately involved in social programming for girl-child empowerment. In her work with various youth groups, she uses art as a tool for empowerment. Juliette also works with the Judith Bwire Foundation (https://www.facebook.com › JudithBwireFoundation). The foundation works to change the lives of vulnerable young Kenyan girls and women by distributing pads and by encouraging the activity of tree planting.

Juliette says ‘we achieve our goals with interactive sessions of music, dance and presentations on relevant subject matter. Art brings out the soul’....’

Kake Wakake

Kake is a multi-instrumentalist, specialising in the traditional Luo instruments of the Nyatiti, Gara, Oduong’o and traditional drums. He uses his unique voice to link music of all kinds. Kake’s aim is to reach out to hearts and minds in harmony with the tunes he composes and performs. These melodies have been performed over the decades in Kenya and across the diaspora, resonating with the realities of what it means to be human.

Along with being an Afromusicologist, Kake is a specialist in healing traditions to support mental health.

Sophie Ogutu

For 15 years, Sophie has been coordinating SWAN day--Support Women Artists Now-- in Kenya. The festival celebrates women artists on the last Saturday of March, Women's History Month. Google SWANDAY KENYA to see YouTube videos on SWAN performances.

Sophie is a member of 5Cs, a progressive human rights theatre group that presents participatory theatre for change. Since 2000, Sophie has been coordinating key elements of their performances. 5Cs works collaboratively with human rights organisations in Kenya, and with allied progressive social movements. Safety Curtain, based in the UK, is a major support for the work of 5Cs.

Find more about Sophie at

https://stateraarts.org/blog/2019/8/23/sophie-ogutu-receive-2019-visionary-leadership-award

Lydiah Dola

Lydiah is an Afro-fusion musician based in Nairobi. She is a composer, singer and guitarist. Lydiah’s music began and is grounded in activism; hence the term ‘Artivist’. Her music seeks to bring about positive change. Lydiah’s musical career has been heavily influenced by Africa and musical greats such as Miriam Makeba, Dobet Gnahore, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Tracy Chapman, Ayub Ogada and others. Lydiah started her musical journey as part of a duet with Dan “Chizzy” Aceda which brought modern-day traditional music to the forefront of Kenyan music. Lydia’s music speaks to and celebrates African history, culture, heroes and heroines, current social issues as well as love and popular culture.

Find more about Lydiah at

Links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM6rGnAAwPc

Her music is available at

https://www.reverbnation.com/lydiahdola

Anthony Gatonga

Anthony works collaboratively with artists to create innovative and marketable music, providing detailed feedback to help refine the artist’s sound. He is a fundraiser for upcoming artist and youth innovators, and produces and mixes music for independent artists in a variety of genres.

Anthony is a bridge builder, developing relationships with local artists, and helping create a network of talent for cultural music projects.Collaborating with other producers and engineers, he creates unique cultural music that inspires new generations

Currently, Anthony is working with Kake Wakake to create a cultural centre in the slum of Korogocho to generate music and teach young people and children to play Nyatiti, a cultural musical instrument.

Find more about Anthony at anthony.gatonga@gmail.com; Facebook: Anthony Gatonga

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Oksana Ponaida Reads Ukrainian Poetry

Oksana Ponaida was born in Ukraine in 1971, when Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union. Her father, a professional musician and choirmaster, encouraged her passion for music. She studied music throughout her schooling, attending a music academy in Lviv.

Oksana came to the UK with two of her three children. Her eldest son remains in Ukraine, serving as a fighting soldier. Her 18 y.o. daughter studies dance in Peterborough and her 13 y.o. daughter paints. Oksana has an active musical life in the UK, singing in a church choir, participating in charity concerts and making music with Ukrainian families in Peterborough.

The family came to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. They are settled in their own home now. Oksana writes, ‘I am happy that at least my two children are safe and can study in peace.’

Oksana reads three poems, from Words for War: New Poems from Ukraine.

'When You Clean Your Weapon' by Borys Humenyuk, in Ukranian and English.

'He Says Everything Will Be Fine' by Lyubov Yakymchuk, in English.

'Caterpillar' by Lyubov Yakymchuk, in Ukrainian and English.

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Oksana singing in church in the UK (left) and at an event (right):

Oksana teaching in class: